UN experts calls for respectful treatment and proper documentation of victim remains in DRC News
Makaristos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
UN experts calls for respectful treatment and proper documentation of victim remains in DRC

UN special rapporteurs on Friday called on all parties to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to treat the bodies of the deceased with respect and dignity and ensure proper documentation before burial.

The experts stated: “We are deeply concerned about the reported burial of over 2000 bodies without proper identification or documentation of the circumstances or causes of death, alongside an additional 900 bodies in overwhelmed mortuaries and hospitals.”

The experts emphasized that the dignity of a person does not cease with death and that their families have a fundamental right to know the truth by accessing information about the causes and circumstances of death. According to the experts, professional forensic examination and documentation of the deceased bodies are imperative for determining the cause of death and revealing potential unlawful killings and extrajudicial executions. Otherwise, bodies would be seen as missing persons, which infringes upon the rights of victims and their families to truth, justice, and reparation. Additionally, the identification process could advance effective investigation and accountability against international crimes and activities violating human rights.

The armed conflict between the DRC and the allegedly Rwanda-backed M23 group returned in October 2023, and the escalation in fighting has resulted in a complex and unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Although the M23 group of the alliance of rebel groups declared a unilateral ceasefire for humanitarian reasons on February 4, the intensification of the conflict has caused a devastating human toll and unbearable suffering for thousands of people who are urgently in need of basic living resources.

Approximately 3000 dead bodies and remains have been retrieved from the city of Goma following the announcement of the ceasefire. The World Health Organization (WHO) also documented 939 intrahospital deaths awaiting burial as of February 11.

According to a report by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), DRC Red Cross volunteers and a team of coordinators are working tirelessly to recover the bodies left in the streets, take measures to prevent epidemics, and give the victims a dignified burial.

After the capture of the city of Bukavu by the M23 fighters on February 17, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ravina Shamdasani expressed deep concerns about the “sharply deteriorating” human rights situation in the eastern DRC. Against this backdrop, the UN experts urged all parties not to exacerbate the suffering of affected families and communities, calling for respectful management and burial of the bodies in line with international humanitarian law provisions and guidelines. They stated: “The obligation to account for the missing and forcibly disappeared, the protection of public health, and the preservation of cultural and religious burial practices must be guaranteed.”

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